


Shattered

by klutzy34



Series: The Mirror Verse [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Character Death, Evil Danny, Evil Steve, Language, M/M, Mirror Universe, Sexual Content, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-05-23 10:30:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6113725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzy34/pseuds/klutzy34
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the conclusion of <i>Mirror Image</i>, the evil reflections of Steve and Danny have found their way into Five-0's world with the intention of bringing them down. Since Danny destroyed Williams' mob family, it's only right Williams destroys the law family he's found.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

_Steve grinned up at him, hair mussed, hands wrapped around the bars of the headboard above him. Danny remained transfixed by the way he moved, head tilting back, mouth opening in an exquisite moan that made the hair stand up on his arms as he rode him, sending shivers down his back. He was a goddamn beautiful man but this was a new side to him, the side that let the need to control slip just enough to allow someone he loved and trusted to pleasure him._

_Danny ran his thumbs along his jaw as he slid his fingers alongside his neck - then sunk the pads of his thumb down into Steve’s throat. The expression on his face went from absolute bliss to betrayal in seconds, his skin slowly becoming red and mottled as he struggled to breathe with his air cut off. Danny squeezed tighter as Steve dug his fingers into his wrists, trying to pull him loose. His body bucked under him but Danny moved him, making sure he kept steady. The movements were becoming weaker, Steve’s face becoming more purple than red, his eyes bugging out._

_“Shhhh, it’ll all be over soon, babe. Don’t fight me on this. It’s for the best,” he consoled him gently. He felt his throat working under his thumbs, still fighting. Always fighting._

_“D-D-”_

“Uncle D!” 

A third voice pierced through the dense nightmare fog ensconcing Danny’s brain and he started awake violently, drawing in a deep breath as if he was the one who couldn’t breathe. His hands shook as he stared at them, the images still too vivid and horrifying to let go of yet and knowing his mind, not anytime soon. He wasn’t sure how many seconds, maybe even minutes, passed before he realized someone stood at the foot of his bed. 

Eric watched him with a solemn expression that Danny couldn’t remember seeing on his face before. His nephew was rarely serious, much less this somber. Danny swallowed hard, raised his hands to run them through his hair, and before he could stop himself, drew his knees up against his chest. His arms encircled them and he rested his forehead against his knees, drawing in as deep a breath as he could in that position.

The edge of the bed dipped slightly and he felt a gentle hand on his back. “You okay?” Eric said finally. “I was trying to wake you up but they tell you not to wake up someone having nightmares because the next thing you know, you’re getting your ass kicked. And, you know, with the training you’ve got, I figure that’s going to put me out of going out for a month at least.” Danny’s back tensed under his hand and Eric blew out a breath. “Sorry. I’m just worried, you know? This is the third time you woke up screaming like this and Gracie and I, were just trying to figure out how to help you.”

Danny finally uncurled, holding up his hands. “No, no, it’s fine. Thank you. Thank you, I just...it’s fine,” he said, swallowing hard. He slid off the bed and padded down the hallway, Eric following after him. To his nephew’s credit, he stayed quiet until after Danny got his glass of water and settled on the couch. 

“I know you don’t do the whole - talking about it thing, but I mean, maybe you should?” Danny slowly turned his head to look up at Eric, frowning. “I’m pretty sure no one is going to blame you for not being okay, Uncle D. Between what happened with Uncle Matt and Colombia and finding out about Charlie and then that confidential mission you almost died on, I think the only person that could find fault with you not being okay would be a robot. You know,” he said, jerking his arms around like he was one of the old model robots, taking on a similar voice, “you and your emotions, silly human.” When Danny didn’t laugh, he dropped his arms and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“First, thank you for waking me up,” Danny said, holding up a finger for each point, “second, do not call me D. Ever. We had this talk. Three, they’re just nightmares. Everyone has nightmares.”

“I don’t think they start screaming so loud that the neighbors call the cops because they think someone is being murdered and I am not ready for the cute cop to see me in my boxers. Yet.” The look that made Danny worry, the one that said his nephew was putting actual thought into something, flitted across Eric’s face and he tensed, not sure what was about to come out next. “But you know, Steve might be ready to see his cute cop in his boxers.”

Danny’s heart nearly stopped, eyes going wide. “How did you kn-”

“Oh please.” Eric rolled his eyes. “You guys really thought I bought the whole thing about wrestling while watching hockey? The only thing you were wrestling was his tonsils with your tongue.” 

Danny held up his hands, rising from the couch. “You cannot tell a single person that we’re-”

“Why not? Everyone knows you’re practically married anyway!”

“Because Steve is still my boss! The last thing I need is people thinking I slept with the boss to get on Five-0.”

“Pretty sure no one’s thinking that since you punched him when you first met.” 

“That is beside the point, Eric. It’s a slippery slope, getting into a relationship with a coworker and we just need to figure some things out before we take that step...”

\----------

“Oh please, _just fuck already_!” Williams bellowed at the laptop, watching the scene between Danny and Eric. He growled in frustration and dropped his forehead on the edge of the desk, banging it lightly for effect a few more times. “I practically laid all the groundwork for you and Steve to get it on and you’re like two teenagers courting. You could at least get it on once before we screw your lives without lube.” 

Across the room, McGarrett raised his head off the pillow and gave Williams a dark look. “You’re playing matchmaker when you’re about to destroy people. That makes sense,” he muttered before he rolled over and slid his arms under the pillow, pulling it close and burying his face in it. Williams’ lip curled up.

“Don’t do that. You don’t know where that pillow’s been and in a place like this flea-bitten death trap, I wouldn’t be surprised if it hasn’t seen cleaning since.” Setting the laptop aside, he rose to his feet. “Look, I did lay the groundwork. I basically told them that we were fucking and they wanted to fuck, so they should fuck. It’s not that hard. Elite taskforce, my ass.” 

“No wonder I love you. You’re a romantic,” McGarrett muttered into the pillow. 

“Fuck yes, I am.” Williams laced his fingers behind his head. “But seriously, they should have a good roll in the hay before it all goes to hell because god knows how long they’ve been doing this dance and they’re only making out like teenagers. The heavy petting only does so much for me. Is it narcissism if you enjoy watching your alternate self get it on?” 

“D, I’m trying to sleep-”

“Right. You sleep two hours a night. Seriously though, do you think it is?”

“Williams, shut the f-” 

“I mean, I expected them to be all sweet and tender, but that’s definitely hinting at some rough and tumble. What do you think they’ll break the first time they g-” Before he could finish the sentence, McGarrett was off the bed, shoving him back against the cheap motel wall so hard Williams swore he almost went through it. 

“What. Does it. Take. To. Shut. You. Up?” McGarrett demanded tersely, fingers digging into his wrists. 

“Exactly like this,” Williams replied, looking up at him, giving him a predatory grin. “This is exactly how it’s going to happen. And then our good little cop, he’s going to tell his good little Navy SEAL to bend him over and - “ Suddenly his expression went blank and he looked away. “Because it’s what I would do.” 

“What?” 

Williams tilted his head backwards, the back of it smacking the wall hard enough to make a _thump._ “That’s fucking it! We’ve been studying them, making plans, and why not just find a way to torture ourselves? You’re the physical brainiac, I’m the mental one!” He slipped loose from McGarrett’s hands, leaving the man to slump tiredly on the edge of the bed, glaring at him again as Williams paced. 

“I’m going to drive Detective Williams crazy,” he said, spinning back to McGarrett. "That’s how I’m going to do it. I’m not going to kill him, I’m going to drive him so fucking mad, they’re going to commit him for the rest of his natural life.” 

McGarrett stared at him for a beat, then raised his hands, slowly golf clapping. “Bravo,” he muttered. “Now can I go back to sleep? Can you shut up? Use your internal mouth, not the external one.” 

“Nope,” Williams responded as he paced past, eyes glinting in excitement. “I still have to figure out how. When you do it right, the consequences could reach pretty damn far - “ 

On his next pass, McGarrett darted up, yanked him down, and pulled a pillow over his head. His leg went over Williams’ next, arm wrapping around his upper body. “Sleep _now_ , plan later,” he snapped out, closing his eyes as he settled in. “Asshole.”


	2. Chapter Two

A facet of being in homicide meant facing examples of the utter depravity that humanity could be capable of. This very morning, that example spread across what was once a pristine living room, the light colors smeared with crimson, twisted art across the walls. Even Max, usually unshakable in the face of body parts, seemed a little paler and shaken as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves and got to work. Danny didn’t envy him the job of collecting all the parts, especially not what decorated the ceiling fan in the middle of the room. 

Hands clasped behind his head, he stepped out back to draw in a deep breath, trying to clear the scent of the crime scene from his sinuses. Part of it may have been in his mind, which was all the more reason to play along and get some fresh air. Steve already disappeared with the excuse that he wanted to talk to the responding uniforms, while Chin went to check in (where, he never said) on his phone, and Kono didn’t even make an excuse, just sagged on the bumper of her car, her hands resting on her knees. The crime was horrible enough, but given that it was one in a series of graphic, violent murders taking place over the last several weeks, it was starting to weigh heavily on the minds of Five-0. 

The sound of retching caught Danny’s attention, dragging him out of dark thoughts, and he focused in on Officer Pua bent over at the property’s edge. The poor rookie was one of the first on the scene and the one to find the body...parts. Near the back door, two young officers nudged each other with elbows and one snorted, both of them grinning towards Pua’s back as he heaved again. 

“Hey!” Most days, Danny made an effort to play nice with HPD. There were enough ruffled egos when Five-0 stepped on toes and Danny, once on that side, tried his damnedest to appreciate the work done by those they worked with. It wouldn’t do to piss off their backup and honestly, aside from his rough start with them, they were all good people. He’d especially taken a shine to Duke Lukela, the older cop a good friend and gentle, calming personality. A voice of reason to Five-0’s cowboy ways. Danny joked once or twice that he deserved an honorary position on Five-0 for what he put up with from them. He would not, however, allow two rookies to badger a third over what any young cop would have trouble dealing with. “You two. Have you been inside?”

Both of them stopped laughing, eyeing Danny as he came closer. “No, sir, we haven’t. The crime scene techs were already working when we got here,” the taller of the two answered, looking a little nervous. 

Danny stabbed a finger towards the retching rookie. “Well, he was, and what he saw was pretty damn brutal. So how about a little support for your fellow officer, huh? Better yet, you,” he stated, whirling on the shorter of the two, “you go get into my back trunk and get a bottle of water out of the cooler. Bring one of those sandwich bags with orange slices in it.” Catching the officer’s look, he rolled his eyes. “Leftovers from my daughter’s cheerleading practice. It was my turn. Now go. Commander McGarrett will let you in.” 

That assignment made, Danny dismissed them and trotted across the lawn. The moment his hand gently touched Pua’s shoulder, the poor kid tried to straighten up and appear presentable. Danny quickly raised his other hand. “Whoa, whoa, you’re not in trouble. Just take it easy.” He crouched down beside him. “Is this the worst crime scene you’ve been at since you joined HPD?” he asked sympathetically.

Pua nodded, wiping a hand across his mouth. “The pictures they show us in the academy, they don’t - “ His cheeks puffed up slightly and then he retched into the bush again. The scent of fresh vomit hit Danny in the face and he turned away, wrinkling up his nose. “They were bad, but they were nothing like real life.” Once he was done, he slowly eased to the ground, resting his forehead against his knees. 

“No, they definitely are not. The thing is, I will tell you right now, you get a little more of an iron stomach but you never get used to it. If you do, it’s time to get out because you’re starting to lose that which makes you human,” Danny told him quietly. After a beat of silence, he gave Pua an embarrassed grin. “My first real bad one as a rookie, I threw up on my training officer’s shoe. He didn’t yell but he didn’t talk to me for the rest of the day. Sat there with a stony expression on his face, driving back to the precinct and pretending the car didn’t smell like vomit.” 

That did the trick, eliciting a small laugh from Pua and the red flush of embarrassment across his cheeks started to lessen. The officer Danny sent to get the water and food returned, quickly handing the requested items over before he beat a hasty retreat. No doubt to bitch with his buddy about the asshole detective bossing them around, but Danny could care less. He handed the bottle to Pua. “Drink this, try and eat one of these to get something back in your stomach.” He waggled the bag at him before dropping it in the grass beside him. “Just take it easy for a few minutes. You’re going to be fine.” Clapping the kid on the shoulder again, Danny climbed to his feet.

Steve met him in the side yard, giving him that look that reminded him of a puppy unable to figure out why his human acted so strangely. Arms crossed over his chest, he almost looked defensive, which made Danny slow slightly. “You okay, babe?” he asked, resting a hand on his bicep to guide him towards the front of the house.

“I don’t know how I ever mistook him for you,” Steve muttered, a hint of self-reproach in his tone as he walked beside Danny. “I just watched you with that kid and it was the exact opposite of Williams’ behavior while he pretended to be you.” 

The urge to pull him aside, draw him into his arms, reassure him was strong, but Danny resisted in favor of directing him towards where Five-0 left their cars. “Obviously,” he stated, taking the dry sass route instead, something comfortable and familiar for them both, “you should have known that my evil mirror twin replaced me. How dare you not, Steven? Didn’t you know that magic was real, that we could access a whole other version of this world through a mirror? Honestly.” He heaved an overdramatic sigh and rolled his eyes heavenward as if asking for patience.

At first, Danny did wonder why the team took so long to realize it wasn’t him. It took some separation from the event and the long days spent flipping through mindless hospital TV giving him time to think that he realized how irrational it was. Chin, Kono, even Steve held beliefs that required believing what they couldn’t see or touch. There was, however, quite a difference between faith and believing that magic, the kind that could access another world through a mirror, existed. Not even McGarrett realized for a time that the Danny at his side was the wrong one. 

The face, the body, they were so absolutely familiar in a way, the mind two sides of the same coin, that not knowing the person wasn’t the right version would be tricky. Even Danny had assumed McGarrett was his Steve until he’d tried to have his way with him up against the wall in the nightclub office. Knowing after barely helped, not when sight memory was so damn strong. But now, and with many times after the incident, Danny looked at Steve and wondered how he’d been so wrong in that initial moment to assume those two men were ever the same.

“Hey,” he said softly, nudging Steve in the ribs as they crossed the street, “you guys wouldn’t know. None of us would. As much as I hate to lump us and them together, we were all caught off guard.” It bore repeating at times, less and less so as they distanced themselves from the event. 

“Yeah.” Steve didn’t sound quite as convinced, but Danny let it go. This time. There would be other, better times to suss it out, like when he had him pinned on the couch and he had no choice but to look Danny in the eye and listen to what he was saying instead of avoiding eye contact while he mentally self-flagellated. 

Or maybe that was Danny projecting his own coping methods. Both were equally likely.

“He just...treated the whole thing like it was a joke. The last time the killer struck. Stood at the scene and laughed it off,” Steve added after a moment, finally glancing towards Danny. “I was so pissed at him for taking back the car and leaving me at the courthouse that it didn’t register how wrong it was.” 

Danny reached over and lightly punched his arm. “Hey. We’ve talked about this. You are not at fault here, not when you stopped him from doing so much worse. So I don’t want to hear it. I absolutely do not. Not even a breath drawn in to start. So drop it. He does not deserve our consideration anymore,” he told him quietly. “Got it? Good.” He didn’t allow for Steve to answer, instead veering off towards the car. 

He nearly sat on another baggie of orange slices in the passenger seat. “Decided on a snack, huh?” he asked as Steve slid in. Steve gave him a grin.

“Think you could peel the skin off and hand them over while I drive, honey?” Danny sighed and rolled his eyes again as Steve pulled out of the spot and onto the street. 

“Is there anything else I could do for you? Massage your feet when you get home, make you a nice, hot dinner, tell you what a good, earning man you are?” he asked dryly, but still dug a slice out of the bag and worked the peel off the back. As he held the first slice out, already digging the second out, he felt it disappear out of his hand - then his wrist in Steve’s grasp, his tongue running lightly over Danny’s fingers, licking away the juice.

A pleasurable shiver rushed down his spine and his eyes fluttered shut. “Okay, it’s a sin for you to be doing that while driving,” he muttered, tugging his hand loose. He was well aware of the wolfish grin on Steve’s face as he happily munched on the orange slice. Danny drew his fingers along his pant leg, but the feeling would stick around for a while. Happily. 

“When you’re ready to spend the night, I will make sure that both hands are free and my focus is entirely on you.” Which Danny found highly appealing, knowing exactly how focused Steve could get with his mind on a goal. His full attention turned on him would most likely be a night Danny remembered for the rest of his life. A night that not even dementia would take away, to the point that he would randomly yell inappropriate things when he thought back on it. 

“Maybe. I’m not spending the night until I quit dreaming about killing you during sex.” 

“Still?” 

“Yes, still. How are you not concerned about this? I am having dreams about killing you, Steve. I could spend the night and wake up the next morning...” God, he could not finish that thought. “How are you not worried that if I’m dreaming this, I won’t...you know.” It wasn’t often he had this much trouble with words, except when the subject pushed past the comfort barrier. He held up his hands helplessly. “I would never forgive myself.”

“You won’t have to because it will never happen.” Steve held up a finger. “You’ve been through trauma and this is your brain trying to deal with it. You would never bring harm to me but knowing Williams did threw you off balance. Between that and walking in his shoes, knowing what he was capable of doing here, your brain is a little off kilter right now but Danny, I trust you and I know _you_. I know that you would never hurt me.” He shifted in the driver’s seat. “So you’re going to come over tonight and share a bed with me to prove it.”

Danny blinked over at him, mouth opening slightly. “Okay, this whole thing where you keep commandeering me is not going to move into the personal part of our relationship. Taskforce, yes. Your bed, no. Ask me like an actual human being and I’ll consider it.”

Steve shook his head. “No, you’ll wiggle out of it because you’ll think of the worst case scenario. You’re going to come over and I’m going to snuggle op you.” 

“...did you just say snuggle op?”

“Yes, I did say snuggle op.” His chin tilted up, completely at ease with the most ridiculous term Danny ever heard in his nearly 40 years of life. He stared at his partner, an eyebrow arching.

“You are serious right now. You are actually serious about the term ‘snuggle op’. You’re going to treat snuggling me like an op. This explains why you are a complete octopus on the couch. You have a mission to cuddle until I can’t be cuddled further. Unbelievable. What if I want to be the cuddler, huh?” 

Steve looked thoughtful. “You prove to yourself that you’re not a threat to me. Then you can have the honor of cuddling me.”

“Oh sure. Now it’s an honor to cuddle you.” 

“It is an honor to cuddle me, I’ll have you know. Very few ever get the chance and you, Danno, are the chosen one. So I’ll cook and you show up with a change of clothing and we’ll cuddle tonight. I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

“I know you’re not. Even if I stay at home, you’ll ninja your way in through my window, into my bed, and I’ll wake up entangled in your arms and legs.” As much as he protested, Danny remained thankful that Steve never allowed him to pull away for long, insisting on keeping him close when his mind might otherwise lead him astray. Closing his eyes, he rubbed at his forehead. “All right, fine.” 

Steve pumped a fist in the air. “Snuggle Op is a go.”


	3. Chapter Three

It was all too easy to track down the perpetrator when the story of the gruesome story hit the newspapers. Williams remembered the style and the run in in the shed, which with a little researching led to a small home in a residential neighborhood off the beaten path. Not a bad score for a college student on her own, though he guessed that Mirror Janie probably took what she wanted in the aftermath of her artistic creation. 

McGarrett, after doing some research into the crimes, muttered his dissent as he drove him to the address since he knew the roads better. It wasn’t the crimes but the haphazard nature of them; where Williams found them creative and a great distraction, McGarrett argued that they were sloppy and likely to bring their plans into the light that much quicker. Williams assured him that he and Janie had an understanding, but paranoia did what paranoia wanted and that left him with a mercenary sulking behind the wheel when he inevitably won the argument. 

“If she was that sloppy, they would have her by now, babe,” Williams replied breezily as he headed up the steps towards the door. Before he made the top one, McGarrett grabbed his arm and spun him around to face him. Even two steps lower, he nearly stood over Williams.

“Do I have to remind you how you told me you two met or...?” he demanded softly so that if someone did listen in at the door, they wouldn’t catch the conversation. 

“Do I have to remind you who’s in charge here or...?” Williams hissed, pulling his arm free. McGarrett released him a little too easily.

“Not anymore, D.” He stared at him impassionately. “You have less power here than the detective you share a face with and now you want to ally yourself with an unpredictable element.”

Williams pinched the bridge of those nose. “Not ally, use as a distraction. She does her thing while we operate under the radar, keeps them running so they never begin to suspect what’s going on -”

“And if they figure it out and arrest her, we don’t know if she’ll roll on us or not because from everything you told me? She’s off her damn rocker.” McGarrett slumped against the rail. “We can do this without. You know Rachel wouldn’t go for it either.”

Williams reached out, putting his hands on McGarrett’s shoulders and shaking him loosely. “Am I or am I not one of the few people you trust, huh? And have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?” McGarrett glared up at him, an expression that Williams knew well by now. He wanted to argue but he had nothing to argue with. “Then we do this and you play well with others. If you’re a really good boy, you’ll get a treat later.” Patting McGarrett lightly on the cheek, Williams spun to the door, rolling his eyes lightly.

McGarrett was a pretty brilliant man but there was a reason most of the planning fell to him and Rachel. Well, mostly Rachel, but Williams wasn’t too bad on his own. He may have lacked his ex-wife’s elegant touch, but his methods got results and this one, he was sure it would to. 

To his surprise, the door swung open before he could knock once and Janie, still Mirror Janie, glared at them from the dimness of the doorway. Red hair askew, paint streaks over her exposed flesh, she seemed every bit the normal art student until he looked her in the eye. There was a look there that said Janie wasn’t in possession of a full deck of cards, but what she did hold was still pretty dangerous to everyone at the table.

At least the metaphor made better sense before he spelled it out.

Trying to cover his surprise and unease, Williams rest his hands on his hips, then switched to crossing his arms over his chest. “Long time no see, babe. Miss me?” he asked, giving her a grin. Janie continued to stare at him until it dawned on her who she was looking at.

“Bad Cop!” She flung herself into his arms, hers wrapping tightly around his neck, legs around his waist. Behind him, McGarrett was up the stairs and at his back before Williams could motion for him to stand down. He could feel Janie peering up at him. “Bad Cop’s boyfriend?” she asked, legs tightening for support as she leaned back to look Williams in the eye. The whole attempt nearly sent them both to the ground.

“Something like that. You got time for us, darling? I’ve got a proposal for you and your art.”

Janie grinned, hopped to the ground, and grabbed his hand. There was no hesitation as she grabbed McGarrett’s as well. The mercenary shot him a dark look, extreme disapproval, but what else was new? It wasn’t the first time they disagreed and it wouldn’t be the last. 

\------

So no one killed anyone while they slept.

Danny woke to the soft rays of morning sun peeking through the curtains overhead and a warm body curled up to him. The latter surprised him, his bet being on Steve already up and at ‘em, either mid swim or post. He basked in the thought of walking into the kitchen while his half-naked, damp partner busied himself over the French press. It was enough to stir something south, eliciting a soft snort against his shoulder.

There was a hand resting beneath the waistband of his boxers and had been since the moment he woke up. Steve’s leg lay over both of his and he rest his head on his free arm. As Danny glanced over at his partner, a small smile appeared on Steve’s lips. “Good morning to you too,” he murmured roughly, still not quite awake. 

Reaching over, careful not to jostle Steve too much, Danny checked his phone for the time. It was early enough that they could take their time getting up, making breakfast, grab a coffee to go before getting into the office. Or they could do other things and grab the breakfast on the run. Opting for the second, he dropped the phone back on the bedside table and turned on his side, unfortunately dislodging Steve’s hand but able to cradle one side of his face with a hand, kissing him softly. Steve’s eyes never opened but he kissed him back, the sleepy manner endearing.

Truth told, Danny became aware of his bisexuality in high school, though he never applied a label to it until years later. Eddie, a product of the era he was raised in, and society in general quickly convinced him that it wouldn’t help his future goals in law enforcement. So he tucked it away, thankful he seemed to prefer women more often, and went about life. He fell in love, became a father, got married. Then it all went to hell and he silently tested the waters on the other side. That didn’t last long, not when he had to move and Hawaii was too small of a population that he wasn’t stupid enough to think that wouldn’t get around eventually.

So going farther than hot and heavy on a couch was a first for him and so was stroking Steve’s dick. It took all of a few moments and his absolute love for the man lying beside him to push him forward, hand sliding down a toned stomach to slide under the waistband and wrap around him. Steve inhaled softly and Danny murmured for him to roll on his back. As he did so, Danny propped his head up on a hand so that he could watch. When Steve started to reach for him, Danny clucked his tongue.

“Uh uh. I’m the one in control here, Steven. I’ll be driving you,” he told him, which elicited an amused snort from Steve, quickly ended by a deft stroke. His head tilted back, lips parting slightly, the arch of his neck too tantalizing to resist. Danny leaned down, lips ghosting against his skin, teasing and tasting. Rough, but not enough to leave a mark, not yet. 

His strokes quickened and Steve’s breaths quickened as Danny worked his way down his body, teasing, licking, kissing the skin he never thought he would get a chance to savor like this. “I’m glad I caught you before your swim,” he murmured, peering up Steve’s body. “It’s healthier for my sodium intake this way.”

“W-what?” Steve huffed, the connection between ears and brain clearly short circuiting, which made Danny beam. What he was doing, he hadn’t done before and wasn’t anything necessarily skilled, but the emotion behind it, how Steve felt about him and how he felt about Steve, took it up a few notches.

“The salt content of the Pacific. Never mind.” He laughed softly against his skin, Steve shivering. His mouth made it to his lower stomach and he realized that any lower and it was practically a promise to put it in his mouth. He’d used his mouth on females, and he was pretty damn good at it, but it was already a morning of firsts. That would be the next thing to get used to. 

Instead, he sped up his strokes and stretched down to just beneath the leg of Steve’s boxers, laying his teeth on the skin there and then nipping hard. It was enough to send Steve over the edge as he sucked on the spot, his partner’s back bowing slightly up from the bed as he spilled into Danny’s hand. “Thanks for the warning, you animal,” he remarked dryly, teasing with no real heat behind the words. He slowly slid off the bed to head for the bathroom when Steve grabbed his waistband and tugged.

“No, it’s my turn-” Danny turned to flop down on the bed, holding his hand aloft. 

“Tonight. You’re going to ask me to come home with you tonight and we’re going to do more than just this,” Danny said softly, nipping at his bottom lip. Steve deepened the kiss between them, only letting Danny go when he was about to burst from the lack of air. 

“Come home with me tonight. Let me cook you a good steak and then fuck you against the wall,” Steve said, making Danny sputter.

“Keep it up and we’re not making it into work,” he said, quickly moving out of Steve’s range before he could grab him again. “You must be the only person in the world that Neanderthal works for. Just watch it or you can explain to the governor...”

\------

“Or I could just show him,” Williams muttered as he bent over the laptop, rewinding the surveillance footage to pick out a few choice screencaps. It was the last thing he expected to see when scanning the recordings from the time they were out, but he couldn’t be happier. Pausing on a point where Steve and Danny were clearly hit and heavy, he glanced over his shoulder at McGarrett.

“How much of an ass would it make me to send this to the governor in fu...actually, I don’t care.”


	4. Chapter Four

_To whom it may concern:_

_I write to express my extreme worry in the matter of the so-called elite federal taskforce that we are told is protecting our safety on this island. In all the praise given to them, not one person has raised an eyebrow at the reputations of some of the individuals serving?_

_In particular, I would like to draw attention to the character of Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly, who was dismissed from the Honolulu Police Department several years ago for the disappearance of funds, funds that were never returned. Somehow, the charges and suspicions against him were wiped clean and he was allowed to not only come back, but received a promotion and an elite job. Now his wife is murdered and his brother-in-law is a well known criminal from whom he has borrowed money? I would also be remiss if I did not mention that his cousin, Kono Kalakaua, is now married to a known Yakuza affiliate._

_It is clear to me that their dirty little secrets have been covered up, leading me to question the character of all involved with Five-0. That I am the only one who has shown concern also worries me. If you, like myself, are also concerned that these are the people protecting us, join me in raising my voice to the governor of Hawaii. We deserve answers!_

_Sincerely,  
A Concerned Individual_

\-------

The neighbor side-eyed Danny as he made his way up the stairs to the front door, juggling a six pack of Longboards and a plastic bag to knock at the front door. The smile and wave contained far more sarcasm than genuine amicable feeling and the elderly woman scurried back inside. The moment the door slammed, the smile left Danny’s face and he scowled in her direction, empty hand curling into a fist, tempted to punch the nearest object that wouldn’t cause damage to Chin’s home or property. 

Thoughts of destruction were interrupted by footsteps on the other side of the door, the sound of the lock, the door opening just enough for a face surrounded by wavy brown hair to peer through the crack at him. When Jerry saw Danny, he swung the door open a little farther, looking past him to the street and beyond, darkness rapidly falling as evening settled in. “Just you?” he asked Danny quietly, motioning for him to hurry inside. As much as he didn’t feel the cloak and dagger routine was necessary, Danny did as instructed, turning to face Jerry again.

“Steve took Kono to the range to burn off some of her rage, then they’re coming over,” he replied, rubbing at his face. “Is Chin here? I saw his bike in the driveway, but not the Mustang.” 

Jerry extended his hand to him. “I can take the bag. Dinner?” After Danny nodded and handed it over, Jerry tilted his head towards the back. “He’s outside on the back stoop. I tried to talk to him, but he’s...you know.” Jerry shrugged helplessly. “We’re tight but you guys might be able to get him to talk better. Just...someone should.” He didn’t wait for a response, shuffling off towards the kitchen and leaving Danny staring blankly at the doorway he’d disappeared through.

The morning started off normal enough, the team starting to flag as their gruesome serial killer kept them up late into the night and made for early mornings. The coffee machine tripled in use and appetites decreased as they reviewed crime scene photos and coroner’s reports, forensic reports. Then the newspaper came. A stricken Duke was the unfortunate one to find the letter to the editor and bring it to Chin’s attention. 

It wasn’t the details but the presentation, the omitting of details, the manipulation of facts that painted an honorable man like Chin in the worst possible light. Chin silently read the letter, then retreated to his office. An hour later, he left to go home. Kono’s fury burned hot, ramping up the tension in the office until Steve gently took her by the elbow and led her to the door, saying they’d meet up at Chin’s place after Kono took out a few targets. Danny gathered a few things for a quick dinner, then headed over. 

Stepping out back, he set the six pack down and then settled himself beside Chin. The other detective continued to stare at the ground, arms resting loosely crossed on his knees. Several minutes passed before Chin inhaled sharply. “This shouldn’t bother me as much as it does,” he said softly, lowering his head.

“Shouldn’t - shouldn’t bother you as much as it does? That, my friend, is absolute bullshit,” Danny replied, laying a hand on his back. “You are one of the most honorable people that I know, Chin. Every detail given in that letter is incorrectly portrayed. What you have done is tried to help your uncle, to help me save my brother, tried to do your best in the worst possible situation. You had no way of knowing who Gabriel would become. Whoever wrote that clearly has no brains in their head or warmth in their heart. I would even venture to say they have a vendetta against a good man, which means they’re someone we probably don’t want to associate with.” 

Chin raised his head to look over at him. “Have you heard anything from the governor?” 

Danny nodded slowly, giving him a hesitant smile. “He called Steve to let him know that he, like us, is entirely behind you, babe. He’s working with people to put out a response reprimanding the false presentation of facts.” 

Closing his eyes, Chin pushed his hands through his hair. “Most days, I’m doing all right. Then something like this happens and I just - I remember that night, Malia bleeding out in my arms. I wonder what I’m doing that these hits keep coming.”

Danny’s arm slid around Chin’s shoulders and he leaned in, squeezing tightly. Chin was right about one thing - he did well at covering the complicated emotions beneath the surface. A Five-0 specialty, they kept the deep wounds hidden so that they could support the others, and Danny would say that Chin beat them all. It wasn’t often that he saw him this beaten down and miserable and Danny wanted nothing more in the world than to fix it for him. Chin Ho Kelly was a damn good man and didn’t deserve the constant shit the world threw in his face. 

“Hey.” Danny waved a finger at him. “Anyone who believes that farce in the paper doesn’t know _you_. I understand that isn’t comforting in the face of how many people live on this island, but you still know a healthy amount of them, Chin, and furthermore, you’ve helped them. They know your true colors and it’ll come out how wrong this ‘concerned citizen’ is. Character matters. Which I say as I’d like nothing more than to deck this person.” 

Chin managed a weary smile. “Which wouldn’t help at all.”

“Which most certainly would not,” Danny agreed. Leaning back, he plucked a bottle from the pack and held it out to Chin. “Imbibe. You deserve it.” 

Staring at the bottle in his hands, Chin shook his head. “Just once, I’d like to have a good week. Month. Not just for me, for all of us. How much more can one person take before they throw in the towel?”

“Alone? Not much,” Danny replied thoughtfully, staring off into the backyard. “Together? More. There’s an eventual breaking point but more people to help carry the load.” 

They sat in silence, each lost to their own thoughts, before Chin spoke up again. “And how long before our collective load hits that point?” 

That one, Danny didn’t have an answer for.

\--------

Williams lay on his stomach, wrists bound together with a tie at the foot of the bed. McGarrett kept him pinned to the bed, hand sliding up under his shirt while the other kept his wrists down on the bed. Williams lay absolutely still, breath shallow, until McGarrett leaned down to speak in his ear. “Now, I’ll ask again. Was it you?”

Shaking his head, Williams tried to speak through the gag, but it came out muffled. McGarrett slipped the second tie out of his mouth. “Again.”

“I swear it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t do that, _Steve_. Not to him, not to us,” he said, his voice taking on the appropriate shakiness. McGarrett’s fingers tightened in his hair, painfully, then suddenly released him, pulling out and rolling off the bed. Williams let out a shuddering breath and slumped back to the bed, burying his face under his arm as he lay there. He heard the sound of boots crossing the old floor to the door, followed by a slam. 

A moment later, he heard, “and the camera’s off.” 

Williams’ entire demeanor changed as he rolled onto his back, stretching his body languidly. “Just give me the Oscar now,” he stated, then frowned. “All right, get this thing off me. My fingers can’t manage it.” 

McGarrett appeared at his side, loosening the tie and pulling it off his wrists. “Make sure that goes back right where we found it,” Williams ordered, sliding off the bed. Grabbing the camera from the bag by the door, he paged through the pictures until he found the one of the bed before their little performance. With careful attention to detail, he pulled the blankets up and straightened them out, fluffing and punching the pillow to the appropriate shape. “Second set of eyes,” he said as he passed McGarrett, handing him the camera.

“It all looks good to me.” 

Williams took the camera back, setting it in the bag. “Then we’re out of here.” He scanned the bedroom of the McGarrett household one last time, making sure nothing seemed out of place. “Janie hasn’t called, so I’m assuming they’re all still at Kelly’s. You were right about honor being the right place to hit him where it hurts, I guess.”

McGarrett gave him a look. “His strong sense of honor is the reason we’re allies,” he replied. “When it comes to carryover, it only seemed fitting that our Lieutenant Kelly would take it hard for his little indiscretions to be aired in public in the wrong light. It doesn’t matter what side of the moral war you’re on. Honor is as honor does.” 

Pulling open the door, Williams started down the darkened hallway. “We’ll see if his honor is still holding tight once the video ‘surfaces’.”


	5. Chapter Five

Catching Chin heading across the parking lot, Danny quickened his pace to catch up. “Chin!” he shouted, catching the other man’s attention enough for him to slow down. Chin Ho looked exhausted, shoulders tensing until he found the source of the shouts, mouth set in a tense line, dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days, something Danny could unfortunately relate to. Despite Denning making it clear that the ‘concerned citizen’ was wrong on all accounts, it didn’t take out the sting of accusation or the people whispering that Denning was in on it. 

He flipped open the top of the box he carried, grinning up at the other man. “Who loves you, babe?” he teased, waving a hand to the cocoa puffs arranged on wax paper. “I picked these up this morning, especially for you. Figured you could use a little treat with your coffee.” A ‘pick me up’, but he kept that part to himself. A ghost of a smile flitted over Chin’s lips and he obligingly plucked one out. 

“Thanks, Danny,” he murmured, the two men falling into step as they headed for building together. “I could use a shot of sugar and caffeine into my bloodstream this morning.” 

“That sounds like me every morning,” Danny replied lightly, gently elbowing Chin in the side. “Hey, it’s going to get better, all right? We’ve already established this person is full of shit and your record, Chin Ho Kelly, is a thing of a beauty. You’ve done this island a wonderful service and that, my friend, will show your true colors - and theirs - in the end. I feel it and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I have fantastic instincts.” So he exaggerated that last little bit, since the statement always came with a ‘good’, not ‘fantastic’, but it did the trick, Chin ducking his head as he chewed, the smile growing a little bigger. 

Danny clapped him on the back, squeezing his shoulder. “Now, how about we go leave these out in the open and see how long it takes Mr. Those Are Terrible For Your Health to cave and try to sneak one when he thinks we’re not looking?” 

\----------

“You’re both late.” 

It was the last thing Danny expected to hear out of Steve and he stopped mid-conversation with Chin, glaring at the other man standing beside the table. Lou and Kono were already there, looking slightly tense. Kono busied herself with something on the screen while Lou shot a sideways look at Steve, then at Chin and Danny, shaking his head slightly. 

“By two minutes. The two minutes that we were in the building and stopping to ask how one of our coworkers was doing on her first day back from surgery,” Danny replied, refusing to back down. He’d seen Steve in plenty of moods and he would be damned if he allowed him to take it out on them just because the two of them were sleeping together now, however secret that relationship was. “Lou, Kono, help yourselves,” he added, placing the box on the edge of the table. 

Steve’s eyes tracked the movement and before either one could reach into the box, he snatched it up. “Food goes over on the table, not on the computer equipment,” he stated, shoving it back into Danny’s arms. 

“Did something aquatic crawl up your ass this morning and die on your swim?” Danny shot back, his frustration rising. They’d spend the night apart since Charlie stayed over and when he’d last spoken to him, everything seemed fine. Steve was his usual goofy self, insisting on talking Danny to sleep, as if that would help with the nightmares. Somehow, he woke up two hours later with the phone still to his ear, the call ended. What the hell happened between now and then to put him in this mood?

Steve’s hand gripped his elbow tightly and he yanked him towards his office, leaving Danny to hold the box out to Chin before he was dragged away. The moment the door slammed shut, he spun on Steve, thrusting a finger in his face. “I don’t care if you’ve seen me naked, that is no excuse to treat me like this and certainly you have no reason to treat any of them like this,” he stated, motioning towards the three out in the main area, trying to find something else to do.

His partner leaned back against his desk, arms crossed over his chest, chin tilted up as he stared down at Danny. It reminded Danny of the man he encountered in the garage of the McGarrett home, the one who spent so much time chasing terrorists that he forgot how to be an actual person at times, instead shutting it up inside. Crossing his arms over his chest as well, Danny glared defiantly back. “What the hell is wrong with you this morning?” 

“You, Danny, are my problem,” Steve replied evenly and Danny’s mouth dropped open. “We’re mired into this investigation and not producing anything. This morning, I took a look over this and previous cases and the common thread is you.” 

Something reached into his chest and squeezed his heart tightly, the oxygen leaving his lungs, the words bouncing around his mind, trying to find where he’d heard wrong. “ _Bullshit_ , I’m the common thre - “

Steve held up his hand. “You did well in NPD, HPD, but this requires a higher level of skill, Danny, and you do not have what it takes for an elite federal taskforce. I apologize for stringing you along for six years, but I’m afraid my favoritism got the best of me.” 

Danny leaned forward, hands resting on his knees as his head swam. He needed to sit down but he refused to show how much the words hurt right now. This - this was not happening. Steve couldn’t be saying these things to him. Not after everything they’d been through. North Korea, Afghanistan, Colombia. So many cases, Danny lost track. Standing by his side with the team when everyone else left. _How can he say this?_

Straightening up, he caught Steve’s eye. “What’s going on here, really? You wouldn’t just dismiss me out of the blue. What makes you think that you have the fucking right to say this?” he demanded softly, stabbing a finger at the ground in emphasis. “You screw me and then you’re done with me? This isn’t you, Steven! Tell me what goddamn reason you have for dismissing me from this team like I’m some incompetent rook-”

“I’m sending you back to HPD. I talked to the captain this morning and he’s agreed,” Steve interrupted, “and that’s the last I’m going to say on the matter. We can still be friends, Danny, and I still want you in my life, but this is for the best.”

Danny felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Fuck you,” he whispered angrily. “You don’t get to ruin my career, embarrass me, then say hey, let’s still get it on when no one’s looking. I...I really thought you were someone else.” That sparked a path of thought and he darted forward, yanking at the sleeves of Steve’s shirt, the collar, lifting the bottom of his shirt. 

The door opened behind him, Chin deciding to tempt the boss’s wrath out of concern. “Is everything all right in here?” 

“He’s not Steve. He can’t be Steve,” Danny replied, realizing how irrational and panicked he sounded and not caring. He continued to search for some sign that this wasn’t _his _Steve, the one he loved and who returned that love unconditionally.__

__“Danny is reacting badly to some bad news that is a long time coming,” Steve replied neutrally, finally grabbing Danny’s wrists and pushing him back. “There is nothing wrong with me and that accusation, Danny, is a little concerning. After your experience, is that how you’re going to argue something you don’t agree with? That isn’t the case here, detective. It’s your work and you have no one to blame but yourself.”_ _

__“Wait. _What is going on h-_ ” Chin never made it to fully voicing his demand for answers as Danny swung out, his right fist crashing into Steve’s jaw and knocking him back against his desk. Desperate to leave before he broke down in front of all of them, Danny pushed past Chin, ignoring Kono and Lou calling his name as he strode for the door, fists down at his side. _ _

__The last thing he heard before the door slammed shut behind him was Chin’s demand to know what was going on._ _

__\---------_ _

__McGarrett gingerly tested his jaw, wincing as he felt a stab of pain. “Maybe you were wrong about the detective. He’s got a hell of a swing when he’s pissed,” he muttered, accepting the bag of frozen peas from Williams. The phone on the table began to vibrate again and Williams picked it up, arching an eyebrow._ _

__“We have a new player. E-Train apparently wants to talk to you,” he replied, grinning as he held out the phone. “Come on, humor me. I want to hear what the useless little nephew has to say. Please?” He jokingly bat his eyes at McGarrett, who scowled and took the phone from him. Hitting the accept button, he put it on speakerphone._ _

__“What the everliving _fuck_ is wrong with you? I supported you and my uncle and this is what you do to him? You came off as a totally different person, man, and if this is how you’re going to act, don’t you ever come near him again or I swear I will - _ _

__“ _Eric!_ ” Danny’s voice joined the argument. “It’s not him.” The detective sounded quiet, defeated. “Don’t bother. That’s not Steve.” _ _

__“Oh? And who else is it, huh? Guy shows his true colors and you’re still defending him. He doesn’t deserve you.” The last part Eric threw at the phone, meant to address Steve. McGarrett rolled his eyes and leaned into the frozen peas more._ _

__“Eric, just trust me. That’s not him. I just need to - “ The phone went dead and Williams tossed it back on the table, then settled on McGarrett’s lap, looking down at him._ _

__“I really enjoy a good mind game. I just need your acting skills to keep it up. They were there for my revealing the last time, so they know about the whole opposite reflection thing. I need you to keep them guessing but giving them nothing to confirm it, not like I did. Doubt, babe. Make them doubt everything they know,” Williams stated. Leaning down, he lifted the edge of the bag enough to brush his lips gently over the forming bruise. “We need them weakened before we step it up and I step in to my role.”_ _

__McGarrett grunted, gaze running up Williams’ body to meet his eyes. “That mind of yours is something else, you know that?” he murmured thoughtfully, free hand sneaking up under Williams’ shirt to brush lightly along his side._ _

__“Awww, shucks. You’re going to make me blush.” Williams caught his lips again, kiss starting rough and bruising before he eased back into something gentler, caring. The side that only McGarrett saw. He pulled his hand from under his shirt and laced his fingers in the back of Williams’ hair, kissing back before he drew away._ _

__“When we get back, marry me,” he murmured. “I want that mind all to myself. There’s no one else I want to work beside than you. You’ve ruined me for other people, you little fucker.”_ _

__The grin almost stretched from ear to ear on Williams’ face. “Look at that, he does have a soft side.” When McGarrett started to protest again, Williams put a hand over his mouth. “Yes. I want to be your partner in crime. Hell, I want to take your last name for the new part of my life. Danny McGarrett has a ring to it.” He wrapped his arms around McGarrett’s neck, careful of the frozen vegetable ice pack and the bruising. “Mine. You’re mine.”_ _

__Burying his face in his neck, he grinned. “Since the McGarrett house is now ours, what do you say we go break in that bed for real this time?”_ _


	6. Chapter Six

“ _Janie!_ ” Williams bellowed as he paused in the doorway, taking in the man he’d left bound and gagged. “What did I say about playing with my toys, huh? I believe the word was _don’t_ ,” he added as she slumped around the corner, hair mussed and eyes half-lidded, obvious he’d dragged his little psychopath out of sleep. 

“He reminded me of McGarrett. McGarrett’s mean,” she muttered, then turned her back on him and padded back into the kitchen, rubbing at her head. Sighing, Williams pinched the bridge of his nose and walked into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

“Is it too much for people to just tolerate each other? I’m not asking for them to like each other,” he stated as he pulled a chair close to face Steve and sat down, resting the tablet on his knees. The Navy SEAL had seen better days by far, a black eye, split lip, dried blood beginning at the hairline in indication of an injury lost somewhere in that dark hair slowly giving to gray. The knock down, drag out between him and McGarrett had been brutal (and hot, if Williams was being honest) and ended with a collision between hard head and cement. It kept him out long enough for them to get him over to Janie’s place and tie him up, much better than the last time. Williams was a man who learned from his mistakes, thank you. Even now, he leaned over to check the bindings as Steve lifted his head groggily to glare at him.

While he crashed for a few hours, Janie had a little fun with him. Shallow cuts down one arm, almost an intricate pattern if Williams cared to stare at it long enough. He tilted his head, running a thumb over them in a way that made Steve wince and hiss behind the gag. Reaching up, he pulled the gag loose. “I do apologize about that though. You have to forgive her, I don’t think she’s used to playing as part of a team and taking orders. To be fair, I get it, I really do. I don’t like being part of a team either. A partnership, yes, but I don’t like taking orders from people. They give you orders long enough, they start looking down on you, relegating you to submissive roles. That’s not my style.”

Steve cleared his throat, swallowed hard. “So you just relegate all others to submissive roles then, huh?” he demanded softly, his voice rough. “McGarrett’s okay with that?”

Williams tilted his head, lips pursing thoughtfully. “No, we’re a partnership. We have our own styles, our own skills. We work together in a certain way that wouldn’t work well without the other now. I think you understand that, right Commander Cute Ass? You and Detective Depressing?” The tightening of Steve’s mouth told him all he needed to know on that front. “I do like submission though. I like seeing what it takes to get people to do what I want.” He chewed his lip, regarding him. “I wondered if your partner would be like that but you two are taking so damn long to get to the hot and heavy part. I mean, jacking off and blow jobs, that’s cute, but you can tell that you two are not experienced in men. Maybe McGarrett can draw it out of him now.”

The SEAL tried to lunge at him, but the bolted down chair and heavy bindings held strong and Williams only reacted slightly, scowling as he settled back into his seat. After the last time, he wasn’t taking anything for granted. A faint smirk appeared on Steve’s lips. “Are you scared of me?” he asked, leaning forward.

Williams leaned forward as well, making direct eye contact. “No,” he said, “but I am working on getting into character for when this video hits the internet and lights up the news stations.” Flipping the tablet rightside up, he tapped play and turned it for Steve to watch. He mouthed along with the words, watching in satisfaction as Steve melted back against the chair, losing a few shades of color from that tanned skin of his. 

“No. No, that’s not true. That will - “

“Damn Chin Ho? Call into question your ethics and morals? It’ll be interesting to see, won’t it? I mean, the governor can only do so much to save you and if you’re shown to be treating your employees in such a manner?” He frowned. “You’ll be the most hated man in O’ahu. Chin Ho will be following in your steps, of course. Playing the people, making them think he was a falsely accused dirty cop when really, he lined his own pockets.” He rubbed his fingers together. “Kalakaua, Williams? Those are both works in progress. McGarrett is combing your files, finding information for a concerned citizen to bring to light. Although I wouldn’t bet on Danny being able to do anything. He’s about to have every choice he makes called into question by people concerned about his wellbeing.” 

Patting Steve’s leg, he rose to his feet and tucked the tablet under his arm. “By the time we’re done, people will regard you the same as the lowest scum you put away. Who might be released after this, all things considered. I don’t exactly understand how that all goes,” Williams stated, waving a finger around, then focusing a grin on Steve. “Rest easy, babe. I’ll send Janie in with some food later. Probably finger foods, so she doesn’t try to pierce your ear with a fork or some crazy shit.” 

The other man stared at the floor, umoving, not reacting. Williams rolled his eyes and headed for the door. “Later.”


	7. Chapter Seven

Danny’s grandmother used to have a bit of wisdom about demons being easier to confront in the daylight, something about seeing them clearer, clarity of mine. As he strode from where he parked the Camaro beside the garage, he hoped that she actually know what she spoke about. The distance between the front stoop and garage took forever, while in reality not more than a minute. As he stood in front of the door, he drew in a deep breath, shaking his hands out as if that would help him let go of the tension in his body. 

After the emotional gut reaction to the transfer the day before, Danny left headquarters and drove, not arriving home until well after dark and interrupting the call between Eric and Steve. Apparently Kono called looking for him and inadvertently tipped him off to something wrong between Danny and Steve. As much as he appreciated his nephew going to bat for him, if his instincts were right, the last thing he wanted or needed was for Eric to place himself in the line of fire. His phone spent the night locked away in the gun safe in the bedroom, every message rattling the device around inside. If he actually made it to sleep, it might have been annoying.

Instead, his thoughts ran circular in his head, and doubt began to settle in the longer he stayed alone with them. Since Matt, since finding out Charlie was his son, since the mirror event...since when? That deep aching depression settled in at some point, sinking clawed hooks into his mind and infecting him with a detachment that he couldn’t seem to fully shake. Even the job he loved didn’t seem to hold the same spark some days and he felt more like a fifth wheel than a seasoned detective with commendations to his name. 

But he refused, _he refused_ , to believe that he’d allowed his work to slip so much that he deserved removal from Five-0. So Steve and Chin Ho and Kono and Lou came on to the scene, an air of confidence and the badass look clearing the way for them, and Danny preferred a more subtle way of things. He could stay in rhythm with them easily and had done so. He worked hard, dedicated his life to the job. The only thing that made sense was that Steve was not Steve, but McGarrett.

Still, that doubt remained.

Well before Eric emerged from the chaotic mess he made of Danny’s living room, he snuck out and drove over to Steve’s place, spending a few minutes psyching himself up for the necessary conversation. Regardless of who he would face on the other side of that door, Steve or McGarrett, the conversation would be necessary. So heart thrumming in his chest, hands shaking slightly from nerves, he climbed out of the car.

The door opened before he could actually knock, standing there with his hand lifted in the air stupidly. Steve regarded him from the doorway, hair still ruffled and damp from his morning swim, trunks the only clothing he wore. Danny stared at him, his gaze sweeping over that lean, toned body for purely shallow reasons before he caught himself, dropped his arms to cross over his chest, and focused on his face. 

“Danny,” Steve - or McGarrett - said, his expression easing into one of relief. He opened the door wider, motioning him in. “I just put some coffee in. Come in and grab a mug. Please?” he added softly, dropping his gaze to the floor.

_Jesus._ Danny was a sucker for the softer side of a McGarrett. Try as he might to hold on to the dismissal from the day before, he felt his resolve slip and his thoughts began to churn out excuses - excuses for Steve, not for Danny. Before he convinced himself he deserved it and turned to disappear from the world at large, he passed Steve into the house. Once the door was shut, Steve padded silently into the kitchen and Danny followed.

The coffee process was silent as well, Steve mixing his bulletproof coffee and Danny helping himself to the milk in the fridge. That nearly broke him right there. It wasn’t that long ago that they’d undergone the same routine, only a matter of days, in various states of undressed. Steve’s arms wrapping around Danny’s waist and pulling him close, nibbling on his neck, breath warm against his skin, the small shivers it sent down Danny’s neck. He closed his eyes, fingers tightening around the ceramic mug for grounding. 

“About yesterday,” he started, hesitating as he worked up the nerve to open his eyes, to look him in the face. There were a few emotions that he didn’t want to see cross that face, that the conversation could cause Steve to feel, but he had to see him, had to read him as best he could. If it was McGarrett, then Steve’s wellbeing in the mirrored world depended on him. “What the _hell_ were you thinking, sending me back to HPD like that? After snapping at Chin no less?” he demanded, his mental flail finding a spark of anger and grasping onto it for all he was worth. He stabbed a finger at the floor. “I am a damn good detective and I would think that after all this time, I’d proven my place on that team more than adequately. You think just because we’re secretly dating, you have the right and I’ll just agree with you?” His voice rose in volume and he stood up a little straighter, chin tilting up. 

Steve remained silent, thumb brushing the side of his mug, staring at the tabletop between them. Finally, he closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. “That’s the thing, Danny. No, you haven’t been, not lately. I tried covering for you but there’s only so many reports I can correct for you before I have to say something and I did,” he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know that you have been going through some difficulties lately and that they’re leaving their mark, but so are the rest of us and we’re not letting our work suffer for it.” 

“ _Bullshit!_ Danny exploded, slamming his mug down hard enough that coffee sloshed onto the tabletop. He smacked his palms against the tabletop, leaning forward, his gaze searching harder than ever for some little hint that this wasn’t his Steve. “I know that I have done excellent work lately, _I know_. You would have given me a chance, said something before this, and I - “

“I should have,” Steve said softly, pushing away from the counter, “I should have been I just hoped you’d find your balance again and that, I failed you there. But it doesn’t change anything. The paperwork is being processed and you’re back at HPD. It’s for the best because the last thing I want to do is lose you in the field.” He reached out to place a hand on Danny’s, but Danny jerked back and just about launched over the table to wrap his hands around his neck, provoke some kind of reaction. 

“You’re not Steve. You’re McGarrett.” Danny thrust a finger in his face, leaning forward, the anger propelling him on. “You’re doing this so you can fuck things up because I did so for your boss, but believe me, that whole world was fucked up before I got there. I was just righting a few things that needed righting.” There. _There_ he saw a glint in Steve - no, McGarrett’s eyes, a tic in his jaw. He felt a swell of satisfaction. “How badly did it all fall apart, huh? As bad as this is going to? I’m going to get Steve back, you son of a b-”

“ _Damn it, Danny!_ ” Steve snapped at him, pulling away and running his fingers through his hair. “Is this how you’re going to play it? You can’t accept that you screwed up, so you’re going to blame everyone else around you? You are a lot of things, but you are not the one who foists blame off on other people,” he growled as he spun back to face him. “I am not McGarrett, I am Steve, and I’m doing this out of concern for your wellbeing, not for some ulterior motive!”

Danny drew back, suddenly feeling off kilter again. Steve pressed the advantage, moving around the table to take his face in his hands, tilting it up towards him. His thumbs brushed against Danny’s skin and he leaned down, kissing him. “I’m sorry it came to this, but I still care for you, Danny. The hardest thing I had to do was hurt you to save you,” he said softly, pulling him into his arms. Danny closed his eyes, giving in for a few seconds, holding him. 

“No. No, absolutely not. I am better and you know it.” He pulled away, then placed his hands on Steve’s chest and pushed him back against the fridge. A few doctor’s appointment reminders, most long expired, and one of Joanie’s drawings slipped to the ground as magnets tumbled off, and Danny rose on his tip toes, pushing his wrists to either side of his head against the appliance. “What do I have to do to show you, huh?” he demanded. “Do I have to show you right here, right now, that I am still in my very right mind, that I am still present?” 

The expression that crossed Steve’s face was not a familiar one, a shiver running down Danny’s spine. Danny bit his lip, chest heaving as he tried to rein his temper back in, but he couldn’t deny that a part of him wanted to show Steve just how in control he was by taking all his control. “Come on, Danno, show me,” Steve taunted softly. 

Swallowing hard, Danny stepped back, shaking his head. Really, what the hell was angry sex going to prove? They’d barely gotten to the part where one penetrated the other and the only thing he’d come out of it was a sore ass - or Steve would. “You know what? Forget it. Good luck finding your serial killer,” he stated, glaring at him. “And us? We’re done. I’ll be in later to clear out my desk, so try not to be around, Commander.” 

He left the mug on the counter, storming out of the kitchen and to the front door, slamming it behind him. His chest tightened as he crossed the lawn, hands curling into fists, anger and sadness twisting up in his head. He closed his eyes once he got into the car, squeezing the steering wheel and then glancing towards the house. 

“This is a nightmare,” he murmured, shaking his head, shutting his eyes. “This is a nightmare, this is a nightmare, this isn’t real, this is a nightmare…”


	8. Chapter Eight

“Eric, stop watching me like I’m going to break,” Danny mumbled as he shut the top on the coffee machine and hit the button to start brewing. The eyes he felt on his back since he appeared in the kitchen while his hungover nephew decimated a box of Lucky Charms suddenly disappeared and he turned to find Eric suddenly very, very interested in picking out the marshmallows and spooning them into his mouth. “Hey, eat all of it. You’re an adult, not a finicky child,” he added, grabbing the box and shaking it at him. “You also owe Charlie some new Lucky Charms.” 

Eric stabbed a spoon in the bowl again. “I’ll pick some up after work,” he mumbled, then settled back on the stool. “Are you really okay with this? You’re just...walking around like it’s no big deal you got screwed over and demoted and…”

Danny held up his hand. “I didn’t get demoted. I could sit here and think I got demoted, I could focus on what I had, but I was a cop with a police department before Steve McGarrett hired me for Five-0, a damn good one at that, and I will be after too. I’m going to prove that I still deserve this shield,” he stated, tapping a finger against the badge clipped to his belt, “and I’m going to do that by working just as hard as I have been. The only one who can stop me from being a cop is me.” 

If only he felt as strongly as he sounded. As he turned back to the cupboards to pull a travel mug out, his expression falling. No, it was not that easy. Sure, he would walk into HPD and he would work his ass off, but after Five-0, what he thought he had at Five-0, it rang hollow. He hadn’t just been let go from the elite taskforce on the island, but from a family. Sure, Chin, Lou, and Kono kept in touch, coming around to check on him. He had missed calls from Steve, texts he deleted without reading. It just wasn’t the same, never would be. They would have their stories from the beat and he’d have his own, the ones that never sounded as exciting. 

The coffee machine burbled at him and a steady stream of coffee began to drizzle into the carafe, filling the room with the scent of fresh Kona. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply as he tilted his head back. “It’s really not okay, is it?” Eric said softly from behind him and he could almost feel his nephew scrambling into a defensive position. “You’re good, Uncle D. A really good cop. What happened was really unfair and - “

“What did I say about calling me ‘D’, huh?” Taking the chance to jump subjects, Danny turned back to him, holding up his hands. 

“At work. You told me not to call you that at work,” Eric argued back, pointing at him. “You never said home.” 

“Well, I’m not specifying. I want you to call me that never,” Danny snapped back, then eased back against the counter, running a hand through his hair as his shoulders slumped. “Rick Peterson used to call me that when I worked with him, okay? Then...when he kidnapped Gracie. He kept calling me ‘D’ and it ruined the damn nickname for me. I can’t hear it without my gut twisting up and thinking about that day, so just...just don’t.”

Eric groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Was that so hard to just come out and tell me, huh? You’re like...you’re like Mr. Wear My Heart On My Sleeve with everyone, but when it comes to you, you just ball everything up inside and shove it into the mental wastebasket like the nighttime janitor is going to dump it out while you sleep. That ain’t the way brains work, Uncle D...anny,” he protested. “When are you just going to admit that you are not okay?” 

His hands tightened into fists. “I don’t have the luxury of being anything but okay right now. I have a son, who I just found out about, who is sick and needs me, needs part of me, to keep fighting that sickness. I have a teenage daughter who feels neglected because all the focus is on her little brother and she feels like because she has to share me with him now, I’m just going to push her aside. The man I love and thought loved me back? He just kicked me off the team, but he still wants to be friends, and I don’t even know if I know who he is anymore! Add into that not being able to sleep, dreaming about killing people, remembering how I’ve failed people, and I don’t have the luxury of not being okay right now!” he bellowed.

Eric froze as well, hands resting on the counter. He swallowed sharply, eyes wide. "I, uh...okay. If you say so.” And suddenly, unleashing all that anger on his nephew, Danny couldn't get out of there soon enough.

“I’ll be home after five,” he said quickly, avoiding his nephew’s gaze as he hurried past, grabbing his keys off the counter. It was on his tongue to say ‘sorry’, but he quickly bit it back, filing it under ‘one more reason I just might be losing my damn mind.’

\--------------

_To Whom It May Concern,_

_Another day, another lie buried from the public. Would it not be a conflict for an officer of Five-0 to be dating a member of the Yakuza? I’m sure the party line is he’s a former member, that he has denounced his ways and reformed, but exactly what happened to get him there? The Yakuza are a well known organization and no doubt he has blood on his hand. Did Officer Kalakaua participate in covering up for these crimes before he finally “quit” them? Or is he still very much a part of their inner circle and she isn’t so innocent herself?_

_The more one digs, the more questions come up. Was it really a good idea for Commander McGarrett and his teams to receive immunity and means? If two members so far have dark pasts buried, what of the others? It wasn’t long ago that Detective Williams was arrested in his child’s class and extradited to Colombia for murder, then charges suspiciously dropped._

_We’re awaiting your answers, governor. The people you answer to deserve that much._

_Sincerely,  
A Concerned Individual_

\--------------

First day back at HPD and he was already on the receiving end of sideways glances, whispers, and people flat out avoiding him. It was already nostalgic in a way, at least until he found the newspaper lying on his desk, open and folded so that the newest Letter to the Editor was hard to miss. Danny set the mug and his things down on the desk, resting his hands on the edge of the desk as he leaned forward, closing his eyes and breathing through the sudden wave of panic that twisted his gut up in knots and made his heart flutter in his chest. He breathed in deeply, released it, grabbed the paper and turned to face the rest of the room.

“Hey, just to straighten things out here? Overdue parking tickets accumulated on spring break, not murder,” Danny called loudly, waving the paper in the air. “Some people are extremely dramatic.” He made a show of dropping it in the garbage can and sliding into his chair, removing his phone from his pocket at the same time.

_hey kalakaua. you doing okay?_

He sent the text and was just about to start setting his personal effects to straights when the call came. Another gruesome homicide and HPD needed to be on premises to secure the scene. He opened his mouth to protest, but it was cut off before he could even utter a word. 

The prodigal detective had to go.

\---------

_No, I’m not okay. Everything is falling apart, there’s a serial killer loose on the island that we don’t know one thing about, and someone is digging our skeletons out of the closet. I’ve had more calls than I can count about Adam this morning. What the hell is going on?_

\---------

Danny leaned back against the patrol car, staring at the returned message from Kono. He could clearly picture Five-0’s youngest member on the other end, either curled up in a chair with tea or taking her frustrations out on the wave. He wanted so badly to say to hell with it, to walk off the scene and drive to her house with a pack of Longboards and just let her say everything she wanted to.

First Chin, then Kono, and Danny hinted at next. Someone knew entirely too much about them. He exited the message and tucked the phone back in his pocket, pushing away from the car. A crowd already gathered around the outskirts, rubbernecking in an attempt to get a glimpse of the biggest news story in the city before it hit the six o’clock news. He frowned and started to turn away, to take another walk around the perimeter, when a flash of blond hair on the outskirts caught his attention.

He shot back around, just in time to see a familiar hairstyle - _his hairstyle_ \- disappear into the crowd. Before Danny could give thought to what it looked like, he took off running, leaping over the barrier that held the crowds at bay and pushed through the people. “Hey!” he bellowed, trying to keep up, but it wasn’t long before he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, utterly at a loss. Behind him, people began to whisper and point. “Hey, did anyone see a guy who looked like me? Anyone?” he called. _He saw someone._ He could admit that his hairstyle was rather distinctive and those light and dark tones, the look, those were his. 

Danny bent forward, hands resting on his knees, breathing deeply. The confusion of the last few days, the utter disrepair that his brain was in anymore, the anxiety and depression, guilt and frustration tearing at his mind, he just didn’t know what was going on anymore. He pinched the bridge of his nose, counting back from ten, trying to breathe through it.

_I am not losing my mind. I am not losing my mind. I am not-_

A hand slipped under his elbow and he spun, fist up to attack. Steve just barely dodged, grabbing his wrist and forcing him back. “Whoa, calm down, D. I just wanted to make sure that you were o-”

“Stop!” Danny snapped, holding up his hands. “If you wanted to make sure that I was okay, you would have come to me a long time before now, so just stop, go back to your crime scene, leave me alone.” He backed away from him, the quick heartbeat in his chest now coming with an element of pain that felt like his heart was tearing in two. Of all people he might have had to talk to like that, Steve was one of the last he expected.

Steve gave him a cool look and backed off as well. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say. God forbid I make sure you were all right after you shot out of there like a man possessed,” he said quickly. Danny stared at his back as he pushed back into the crowd, the masses closing around him. 

“‘God forbid,’” Danny muttered under his breath. “‘Whoa, calm down, D-’” He stopped suddenly, brow furrowing. “You-” He raised a hand, pointing at nothing, his mind taking a sudden vacation from trying to figure out if he’d lost what was left of his damn mind. He closed his eyes, hand moving through the air as if connecting two dots. Then his fingers snapped, his expression turned determined, and he marched back towards the crowd.

It was a shaky theory at best, but if it meant he was right, he had to pursue it.

\----------

“You should have seen the look on his face,” Williams muttered as he stood in the dark house, pulling on a pair of gloves. “He can check the footage from that security camera all he wants, but a nicely timed loop is going to make it look like he’s chasing ghosts.” He leaned back against the wall, untucking the phone from between shoulder and ear. “Between that and the letter, I’m fairly certain everyone thinks he’s losing his mind. Time for me to take over.” 

The house hadn’t changed a damn bit since the last time he was there, except for the mess in the living room that looked like it was slowly becoming a frat boy’s bedroom. Williams picked up a pair of boxers, nose wrinkling in disgust as he tossed them away. “I swear, if I have to deal with them much longer on my own,” McGarrett muttered on the other end of the call. “You’re coming over here after, right?” 

Williams snorted. “I gotta come crawling back to you, babe,” he mock cooed before it broke off into a nasty grin. “As long as Daniel didn’t stop somewhere to drown his sorrows, I shouldn’t be too lon-” He paused as a set of headlights passed over the front window. “See you soon.” Without waiting for an answer, he pressed back against the wall, waiting for the door to open. He palmed the syringe in his hand, breathing shallow and steady, unable to help but grin. 

It was one more step towards making sure the detective paid for his part in the downfall of the Williams family. 

He heard the keys turn in the lock and the door opened, the dark shape of Danny Williams stepping into the house and reaching for the light switch just inside. Williams pushed away from the wall, lunging low to slam a shoulder into him to send him crashing into the wall.

\-----------

As it turned out, it took more of a fight than he expected, but there was someone bound and gagged in his trunk and he was on his way to Steve’s - McGarrett’s. After he pulled into the driveway, parking next to the truck, he pulled down the visor to make use of the mirror, wiping away the blood under his nose and hiss at the eye that would certainly be turning black soon enough. “Jackass,” he muttered, pulling the keys from the ignition and getting out.

Silence fell around them, most likely the neighbors already off to bed. There was one light on in the living room and he knocked softly, the door swinging open on the second knock to reveal McGarrett standing there, towel slung low on his hips, fresh from the shower. Head canting, he licked his lips appreciatively, making McGarrett grin. “Get in here,” McGarrett told him, tugging him inside by the front of the door. “Looks like he had a little more fight in him than expected. You enjoy your tussle, D?” 

The kiss was rough, bruising, making his split lip sting and he hissed into McGarrett’s mouth. “More than enjoy.” He pushed his hips against McGarrett, rubbing at him through the towel. “When we get back, I’ll show you just how much I enjoyed it. First, we get Daniel all trussed up. I’m not taking chances.”

McGarrett pulled away with a grunt, rolling his eyes. “Aye, aye, captain,” he muttered, earning a swat on the ass. He grabbed the offending hand and drew him in for another kiss, nipping at the swollen spot before he pushed him away, heading for the stairs.

Eyes followed him up the stairs, the look of lust quickly giving way to pure disgust once McGarrett was out of sight. He’d played the part well, enough to feed on his doubt, he would give him that. But he knew his partner and his partner knew him, knew his triggers, the things he hated. 

Steve would never call him D after Grace's kidnapping, but McGarrett would. 

Danny blew out a breath and pressed his fingers to his forehead. “I’m coming for you, Steve.”


	9. Chapter Nine

_Ideally, being home meant he could take his pants off and slump down on the couch with a beer while he turned on ESPN and let the droning turn into soothing background noise until his favorite teams made it to the top of the news. Unfortunately, between the war zone Eric turned his living room into and his mind in overdrive, connecting dots after the slip at the crime scene that day._

_Logically, he knew something was wrong from the start but it was played well enough to make him think that_ he _was the problem, the one that was wrong. It should have been harder to convince him maybe but after the last several months and everything that transpired, Matt’s death, Rachel telling him about Charlie’s true paternity, the mirror world, Danny wasn’t sure where he stood anymore. That alone made it easier to shake his foundation, make him doubt his perceptions, his ability to make decisions._

_But that slip, that casual ‘D’, no matter how they felt about each other in that moment, Steve would never. Steve would never because he knew what it meant to Danny now, how it hit him, but McGarrett, he wouldn’t think twice about it. And just like that, Danny felt a swell of guilt for allowing McGarrett to keep him off kilter for so long, to allow him to make Danny think it was Steve doing those things, saying those things. He scowled, his temper starting to rise, grip tightening on the Camaro’s keys, the quiet, angry voice telling him to release that growing anger in whipping the keys across the room. He could pick them up later, it wouldn’t hurt anything…_

_Giving in to that voice was what saved him. As his arm started to swing up and around to throw it as if he was warming up in high school baseball again, he caught the shadow moving towards him and managed to turn it into an evasive maneuver. Whatever the shadow had been attempting to drive into him went into the couch’s soft back instead and Williams turned to scowl at him, pushing away quickly and falling into a defensive stance. “Really now, can you, at any point, stop being a pain in my ass and just give in easily?” he groused in annoyance while Danny stared at him._

_He knew Williams had to be there after that afternoon, but the time spent combing footage, he began to doubt himself all over again. And just like that, the proof that he wasn’t losing his mind standing right in front of him, Danny’s grip tightened on the keys in his hand and they dug into his hand, the fresh wave of pain knocking away the haze of self-doubt and letting righteous anger push through. They’d come back to fuck with his life and that, that was NOT going to happen._

_“What? Let you ruin my life easily because you’re a bastard, huh? What did you do to your kid, Williams, huh? What did you do that made her hate you so fucking mu-?” Danny stopped abruptly as Williams’ expression contorted into sheer hatred in the dim light from the window and he launched himself at Danny, intending to him him with a hard right hook. Danny brought his arm up to block the blow, then brought his knee up to drive it into Williams’ solar plexus._

_As stubborn a bastard as he was, Williams grabbed his shirt as he bent forward and shoved forward, knocking Danny off balance. It gave him just enough time to draw in air and lunge forward again, slamming them both to the ground. Danny barely had time to realize how disconcerting it was to fight his own face before Williams pressed his forearm into his windpipe and pushed down, staring down at Danny with a murderous expression. “I wanted you alive but dead works just as well.”_

_Danny clawed at the arm but they were fairly well matched in strength. Taking a gambit, he reached...for nothing. But it was enough to momentarily distract Williams, who glanced aside to see what he was reaching for and meant Danny could blindside him with a hook, knocking him over. Fists followed, arms raised in defense. Danny idly realized they both seemed to have been in the boxing ring at some point, matching each other blow for blow, block for block, until he slammed back into the couch. His hand brushed over whatever Williams had initially attacked him with and he pulled it out, taking advantage of a low guard - they were both exhausted - to jab it at Williams._

_It sunk in and he realized he was holding a syringe. Before Williams could react, he hit the plunger and ejected whatever it was into him. A string of curses and jabs and crosses became weaker until he sank to the floor at Danny’s feet, out cold. He crouched down, feeling for a pulse and finding it strong under his fingertips._

_“All right, you son of a bitch. What did you do with my partner?” Danny growled quietly as he rolled him over, yanking at his clothes. It looks like they were going to swap again._

\------------

McGarrett’s hand slid over his thigh, grip firm as he drove them through the darkened Honolulu streets towards wherever it was they’d been keeping Steve. Danny tried his best not to fling the hand off in disgust, instead mentally willing himself to stand it, even encourage it, until he had an out. Running his hand over McGarrett’s, Danny urged him a little closer without being too overt. If he didn’t take the hint, that was fine by him, but it played into the illusion that he was Williams.

“You’re feeling better,” McGarrett murmured, risking a glance over at him. With no idea where to go, Danny made the excuse that the fight with himself knocked him a good one and that he needed time to see straight again. McGarrett slid behind the wheel of the Camaro after Danny assured him that all forms of GPS were disconnected (and they were...except the one in the trunk) and no one had followed him from the house. It wasn’t entirely wrong, not when he felt like his bell had been rung at least once by Williams.

“Told you I just needed a few minutes to breathe and get my head on straight,” Danny replied, “but I didn’t want to waste time either. The detective is only going to be out so long and I don’t want him fighting us into the house. That kind of thing, you know, attracts attention.” He held up a fist and flashed McGarrett a smile. _Academy Award winner right here._ “Stinging knuckles never felt so good, babe.” 

McGarrett snorted. “Not even after that time in Queens?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at him. To Danny’s surprise, there was a softening of the coldness in his eyes when he looked at him, almost...fond. That bothered him. He needed to think of those two as irredeemable killers, not the possibility that they might actually _care_ about something. It was disturbing. 

“If I didn’t get to knock my good old boy self on the floor, then no, nothing compares,” he replied carefully. His back pressed a little harder against the seat as McGarrett’s hand slipped between his thighs and ran over him. Honestly, he wanted to dig his fingernails into the hand and toss it away, but instead, pictured Steve. Steve, head propped up on one hand while they laid together in bed, early morning, waking Danny up in one of his favorite ways. 

He barely recognized the neighborhood they drove into, but that only meant that Five-0 didn’t visit much and that he didn’t know anyone there. It looked like a decent place, small houses, some a little worn, but all well kept. McGarrett stopped in front of one in particular, shutting off the car and climbing out without a word, leaving Danny to inhale deeply, then return to character.

Williams was still out, having left a nice blood streak on the carpeted floor of Danny’s trunk from the head wound he sustained. Danny helped McGarrett haul him out and dump him unceremoniously on the ground for a moment, taking petty pleasure in doing so. There was a part of him that wanted to go further, kick him hard, but he reminded himself that he was the better person of all the people currently gathered and he would not stoop.

It was tempting though.

The woman that greeted them in the hallway just inside was a familiar face, the kidnapped woman from the case that started this whole mess in the first place. Janie bounced out of a nearby room. “Bad Cop! ...McGarrett,” she added, her nose wrinkling up at him. No love lost there apparently. “The other McGarrett has been loud all evening. Are you sure I can’t play with him?” Her arms crossed loosely over her chest. “That might make him behave.” 

Before McGarrett could respond, Danny yanked on the arm he was carrying. “Absolutely not. Once we dump Good Cop in there, he’ll probably shut up for a little while, so just...let us handle it.” Her frustrated expression grew more pronounced and she rolled her eyes, disappearing into whatever room she came from. If he concentrated enough, he could smell the faintest hint of decay on the air. _What the hell is going on here?_

The glare that welcomed them, well, Danny hated being on the other side of. Steve looked near murderous, gagged and tied down, arms full of bloody welts and face covered in various bruises. It took everything Danny had to wait until the door was closed to pull the gun from his waistband, turn, and aim it directly at McGarrett. “Okay, now it’s your turn to be a good little boy, McGarrett.” He did take some enjoyment out of it as recognition dawned on the mirror image of his partner, followed by a quiet snarl and the ex-SEAL taking a menacing step towards him. Danny stumbled back a step but the gun didn’t waver. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the knife he filched from Steve’s house, flipping it open one handed and gently feeling out his hand with the knife’s end before slipping it into his fingers. 

“Is everything with that face a duplicitous little jackass?” McGarrett muttered quietly and Danny frowned, putting his free hand over his heart.

“Coming from one of the two in this room who wrote the book on it,” he replied, then motioned down at Williams. “Tie him to the chair you have for me. When you’re done, Steve gets to do exactly what you did to him while I call the cavalry in. So shut your mouth and get it done, buttercup,” Danny told him. He felt Steve’s hand on the small of his back and took a step back into him, pressing his body against him to fully realize that he was there and alive and whole. “I am so sorry that it took this long.”

Steve gave him a half-hearted smile, though it wasn’t full from weariness, not blame. “Nah, I knew you were coming,” he said, straightening out the ropes in his hands, glaring at McGarrett, who knelt down beside his cohort in crime. “Worst way to take a vacati-”

They couldn’t be left alone for a second, even in the same room.

Suddenly, Williams was very much _not out cold_ and grabbing McGarrett’s hand, the other man easily pulling him up and giving him the momentum to slam into Danny, sending them both flying. Steve hesitated for a moment before he ducked under the new gun in play, aimed at his head, and shoved McGarrett back. 

“Kill him!” Williams snapped over his shoulder. All pretense from before out the window and the fight became angry, violence without restraint, absolute fury. With Steve back, Danny let go of all control and lashed out just as hard, swearing under his breath as he took the blows, knocking out a few of his own. 

He heard a curse from nearby and McGarrett went flying over Steve’s shoulder, landing uncomfortably on the chair and rolling off. His partner wiped the blood away from his face before following, launching into another attack before Williams slammed Danny’s head against the ground, stars dancing in his vision. He went slack long enough to be hauled up by the front of his shirt and then shoved away, bouncing into a solid chest. He looked up to blink at Steve - no, McGarrett. Those eyes were definitely McGarrett.

Steve was climbing up from the ground, holding his side, his lips curling into a snarl. In his hand, he held one of the guns and pointed it at Williams, who panted heavily. His shallow breaths suddenly became a hard swallow and he glanced at McGarrett, who stared at Steve. “So, how are we going to do this?” he demanded, arms tightening around Danny. “Either way, I kill your boyfriend here. You choose if it’s fast or slow...and you know how well we do slow.” 

Danny shook his head hard at Steve. “No. This ends here. Whatever happens, these two are too dangerous to escape, Steve. You have to do it. Just...pull it, please. Do it, babe,” he begged softly, his foot already starting to scoot towards McGarrett’s instep, slowly but surely. He just needed a moment where his attention was elsewhere fully, just to slam his foot down hard, wiggle out - 

Steve met his eyes, indecision warring in them. Then he let out a breath. “You’re right, Danny, I’m sorry.” He spun to fully face Williams, whose hands shot up in the air, but gaze oddly steady for a man who was about to die - 

The door suddenly flew open, slamming into Steve and sending him stumbling. Danny tried to slam down his foot, but McGarrett had already moved in surprise. Janie let out a screech of anger and lunged, Danny’s eyes widening in horror as she realized she had a wickedly sharp knife headed right for him. “ _You hurt Bad Cop, I hurt yours!_ ” 

It all happened slowly. 

In a fit of desperation, Danny threw his full body weight to the side, knocking a distracted McGarrett off balance. His grip on Danny gave just enough for him to pull away from his body, no longer the human shield he’d once been, and the knife whistled past his head - and hit home in McGarrett’s neck. He let go of Danny entirely, stumbling back with a hand pressing over his neck, blood dribbling between his fingers. 

Mortal hit. Janie took a step back, holding the knife to her chest. “Oops,” she murmured innocently, her voice drowned out by a feral scream from Williams that made the hair on Danny’s arms stand on end. 

The mobster caught the hitter as he sagged to the floor, refusing to let his own gun drop, but unable to let McGarrett either. They both sagged to the floor, McGarrett’s head lolling into Williams’ lap as he tried to help him. It was all in vain, the way the blood continued to gush, pooling out onto Williams’ pants, the floor. McGarrett’s mouth moved and Williams bent forward. “No, hey, don’t go saying that fucking shit. You’ll be fine, you’ll be…” He stopped, then his hand sharply rapped his cheek. “Come on, stay with me, you stubborn fucker.” 

Danny backed up to Steve, who quickly drew him into a hug and held him tightly. As much as he wanted to stay there, he didn’t trust Williams on the loose and pulled away to pick the second gun up off the floor. “Let’s get him locked up. Chin and Kono are on their w-”

The gunshot stopped him dead. Red began to bloom on the right side of Steve’s dingy t-shirt and he stared at it blankly, brow furrowing. “What the h-” Danny caught him right before he crashed into the chair, easing him to the ground. His hand fell over the spot, eyes wide, nearly hyperventilating. 

“What - “ 

“You do mine, I do yours.” Williams’ voice was cold, dead, the gun held out in front of him as he cradled his partner’s head in his lap. Danny turned to scream at him, to shoot back, something - when he realized that McGarrett was staring blankly up at the ceiling. Dead. Williams held Danny’s gaze, the gun still held up. “You know he asked me to marry him, huh? All I had left, and you just...you fucked it up.” 

Danny’s laugh held no humor, only fear. “I fucked it up? You could have left it alone, stayed away, but you came here, you had to hurt us. His death is on no one’s hands but yours!” he shouted, pressing down harder on Steve’s chest. Steve winced and swallowed hard, blinking several times to focus. 

Williams lowered the gun for a moment, stroking the bloody fingers of his free hand through McGarrett’s hair. “That’s what monsters do,” he said softly, “we come out of the closet and we terrorize the world.” He smiled, the softest, gentlest smile he’d ever seen out of Williams. “He was my monster, I was his.” 

The phone in Danny’s pocket chirped but he didn’t make a move for it, didn’t dare look away, but he hoped that it was a text from Kono or Chin, on the way with Lou in tow. Williams heard it too, looking up slowly again. “I’ve got nothing left. Funny how I thought I would when I walked away from the destruction we’d leave behind. Family’s gone, kid and her mother gone to ground. All I’d have left was him and shit, that would be enough for me. Now I don’t even have him. But I’m ready for my trip to Hell now.” 

Leaning down, Williams pressed a soft kiss against McGarrett’s forehead, murmuring something to him that Danny couldn’t hear. When he straightened up again, his eyes were red with unshed tears and he sniffed, running his hand under his nose. He stared blankly at the dead body in front of him. “It’s like in any world, a Williams is always going to end up with a McGarrett and whatever happens, they’re going to be together when it does,” he added after clearing his throat. Danny didn’t respond, Steve’s fingers sliding gently around the wrist of the hand clamped down on his chest, squeezing. “So it only makes sense that where he goes, I’m going to follow. And where your Steven goes…”

The gun rose suddenly, pointing directly at Danny. “You’re going to follow too.” The smile Williams gave him, it sent a cold shudder down Danny’s spine even as he quickly turned to bring his own gun up, taking aim. “See you in Hell, detective.”

Just as a door burst open elsewhere in the house, Chin, Kono, and Lou charging in, two gunshots rang out.


	10. Ten

Danny started awake, the gunshots ringing in his ears and his heart thundering in his chest. He gulped air in desperately, trying to stave off the panic that threatened to overwhelm him, when an arm tightened around his waist. He felt the body next to him move closer and then Steve was there, pulling Danny to him. “Hey, Danny, it’s okay. You’re okay. _We_ are okay,” he murmured in his ear. Steve’s lips pressed lightly against his shoulder, arm easing up slightly so that he could run his hand soothingly along Danny’s side. “The same one?” 

The same one. Always the same one. It wasn’t a nightmare, it was a memory, the last few seconds before the bullet slammed into Danny and sent him sprawling to the floor. One more scar on top of scars from the world continuing to kick them around as if they’d done nothing in their lifetimes by something to accumulate bad karma. If anyone ever asked Danny why he didn’t believe in it, this was a prime example: he was still haunted by the night he’d almost lost his partner and had to put a bullet in his own chest. 

He drew in a deep breath, turning his head to bury his face in the pillow. His face started to heat up, cheeks no doubt turning red at the embarrassment of waking Steve up yet again for something petty. After taking a bullet to the chest, Steve needed as much sleep as he could get, even if he insisted he was healing ahead of schedule and ready to take on the world again. Steve was the master emotion suppressor and if he was feeling anything in the wake of Williams and McGarrett’s rampage, including the plan to make him look like a monster, he wasn’t talking about it.

Steve’s chin rest on his shoulder, his hand still moving soothingly. Slowly, Danny’s heart rate began to resume its normal speed and he rolled onto his back. It was still pitch dark outside and he didn’t want to grab his phone to see what godawful hour he woke them up this time. Steve’s outline hovered above him in the darkness and he could almost feel those concerned eyes locked on him, clearly picturing the worry and frustration at not being able to do anything. “Hey, babe, I’m fine,” Danny told him, his hand moving around in the darkness until he found Steve’s arm and squeezed lightly. “If a nightmare was going to mess me up, well, I never would have made it out of my twenties. You said it, right? I’m fine, you’re fine, we’re fine. They’re gone. Life’s going to get better from here on out.”

It wasn’t like last time, not when some small threat of Williams returning via the reflection of the mirror existed. This time, they’d ventured into their world, threatened their lives, and paid the price for it. Danny had barely been able to look at the crime scene photos in the aftermath, Williams slumped against the wall, shot through the heart in a desperate last minute gambit by Danny, McGarrett’s head in his lap. How close that came to being Danny and Steve made him physically sick and he’d told Kono, Chin, and Lou to keep the files far, far from him. 

As it turned out, explaining the bodies away was not only simpler than expected, but also worked in their favor. Max’s faith in Five-0 meant that he was willing to believe the explanation Chin gave him about the alternate worlds and when he submitted his findings, his report detailed numerous plastic surgery scars, faint but there, leading him to the conclusion that someone hated Five-0 enough to undergo extensive surgery to infiltrate and destroy the elite taskforce. Denning was all too happy to latch onto that explanation, reaching out to the newspapers for an exclusive to put his team in the clear. 

The video. The fucking video. They’d found it among Williams and McGarretts’ things, ready to go live, McGarrett making it look like Steve trying to force Danny into silence about Chin. Danny watched Chin’s face go pale and the fury that crossed Steve’s face as he sat in his hospital bed. Against their requests, he suddenly snatched the flash drive from the laptop and did his damndest to smash the thing into pieces. That was the last update Steve received while he was in the hospital. 

Kono was the one who dug up the spell one last time, hidden away in Five-0 headquarters just in case. She was all too happy to drag the serial killer into the interrogation room to complete the swap, banging her around a few times before shoving her into the mirror. Now, she and Adam had a houseguest, the real Janie that belonged in that world. The kid was understandably a mess after living in a serial killer’s shoes for weeks and, with so few people knowing what actually happened, she chose to latch on to the members of the team when she bothered to venture from the guest room at all. 

Kono stated she had plans for the weekend to entice her from the room with a picnic on the beach. 

“That’s exactly it,” Steve murmured softly in the darkness, leaning down to kiss him. His lips found the corner of Danny’s eye first, then his nose, then finally his mouth. Danny’s hands slid around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. “That’s exactly it and we have things to discuss that are much better than worrying about the past,” he added, lips brushing against Danny’s as he spoke. “Like painting the guest room for when Grace and Charlie stay over.” 

His kids. His two precious children, his beautiful daughter moving towards adulthood at a pace that terrified him, his brave little son that battled the illness in his tiny body and did it with a smile on his face. That finally brought a smile to Danny’s face and he pulled away from Steve. “As long as it’s not camo green and tan, I think we can figure something out.” 

Steve flopped over on his side of the bed. “ _Navy,_ Danny, not Army,” he groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face, “and watch your tongue. Blue and white camo would make an awesome kids’ room.” 

“I have no idea if you’re joking about that or not, but I hope that you are because that, buddy, is terrible taste and I won’t have any of it.” Danny slowly sat up and felt Steve start to move beside him, but he held up a hand. “I have to take a piss. At ease, soldier.” 

Steve snorted softly. “The soldier is already at ease, Detective Charming,” he stated dryly, but still flopped back on the bed, bouncing Danny slightly as he climbed off the bed and padded over to the bathroom door opened just enough to reach a hand in and flick on the light. He kicked the door shut behind him and flipped up the toilet seat. 

Things _were_ starting to make their way back to normal, but there was still a long road ahead of them. The mysterious letters published in the newspapers did raise some questions about Five-0’s methods, the more intrepid of which wouldn’t be put to bed by the reassurance of the media. It also left Steve, Danny, Chin, Kono, and Lou chilled by the idea of other parallels out there, that magic existed in a form that affected their lives so directly. That wasn’t a viewpoint easily adapted, leaving Danny wishing the only magic he knew about involved _Wingardium Leviosa._ (Thank you, Grace.) 

And as much as they wanted to say it outloud, Steve and Danny weren’t quite _okay_ , not yet. Having someone you shared a face with manipulate your partner lead to some deeper issues that they weren’t entirely sure how to approach, the irrational wondering if their partner was being entirely straight with them when they knew otherwise. Danny scowled at the wall. He knew the man out there in the bed was Steve, _his_ Steve. McGarrett was gone.

Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something they were missing. It followed him everywhere, every day. To pick up Grace and Charlie and to drop them off, to work, to crime scenes, to the store. He had the distinct feeling that he was being watched and yet when he turned quickly, hoping to catch the perpetrator, there was nothing there. No doubt a feeling that would be leaving any time soon. 

“Hey babe,” he called through the door as he shook, tucked, and turned to the sink, “since we’re up, do you want to get all handsy and suck face like teenagers trying to get it in before their parents come home? If you’re really good, maybe I’ll let you get to third base,” he added before he turned the water on, washing his hands. 

Something moved in his peripheral vision and he straightened up, swinging around to take in the bathroom. There was no one but him, however - 

Danny swung back around to face his reflection in the mirror, expression becoming annoyed at the fact that he’d taken to jumping at his own shadow (not a good trait for a detective) when the reflection moved - and he hadn’t. He took a step back, then another, hands slowly raising and breath catching in his chest as his reflection’s eyes locked on his cold and bored, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk. 

“You know,” Williams drawled, settling his arms over his chest, “for a detective of your caliber, your attention is extremely hard to get. Were you aware that you kept avoiding mirrors or was that a subconscious thing? Don’t answer that, I don’t care.” He waved it off, lips pursing as he stared Danny down again. “So, this is what we’re sharing for the rest of our lives.”

Danny dug his fingers into the skin on his arm, pinching and clawing, trying like hell to wake himself up. The pain was there, oh so real, bringing home the reality that there was nothing to wake up from. He already was. “What - what’s going on? Why are you - ?” He stabbed a finger at the mirror angrily. “You’re dead, you bastard! Leave us the hell alone already!” 

Williams scowled. “Oh, believe me, I would if I could but apparently magic comes with fine print that I forgot to have my attorney look over,” he stated snidely. “Apparently, as I looked into when you were asleep,” Danny’s hands quickly ran over his body as he realized, with growing horror, that it meant Williams was _inside_ his head and thus had access to controlling him physically, “in order for two of the same person to exist in the same plane, they share an essence. Essence that just doesn’t go to the big guy in the sky when it’s done. It returns to the former owner, makes them whole again, but not without being irrevocably changed.”

Danny began to shake his head hard, squeezing his eyes shut. “God, this is a fucked up nightmare. All right, Steve, I need you to wake me up, buddy. Get your tingling sixth Danno sense on and wake me up, babe. Come on, Super SEAL, just…” 

“Oh shut the fuck up! I swear, if I have to listen to this for the rest of our life, you’ll be spending most of your time in the backseat,” Williams snarled, “not that I have a reason to let you drive now, but…” He stopped and frowned. “I can’t seem to hold on very long.” 

Stepping back from the mirror, Danny unhooked the towel rack from the wall and spun, slamming the end into the glass and shattering it to pieces that dropped down into the sink. Dropping it with a clatter, he stepped back, fingers running through his hair. “This is just a dream. You’re dreaming. Wake up, Danny.” He huffed out a deep breath, spinning on his heel to leave the bathroom - 

And slammed right into Steve’s chest. No, not Steve.

When Danny looked up into this eyes, he knew the man he was looking at wasn’t his partner. McGarrett reached out for him, grabbing his arms and pushing him back to the wall. “Calm down, detective,” he murmured, giving him a chilling smile that made him want to drive his knee as hard as he could into his stomach, make his apologies to Steve later once the skin on his arms ceased crawling. “You heard my partner. We can’t stay on the outside for long. That’s all right though.” No, that was it. Danny’s knee went up into McGarrett’s crotch and he rocketed past him, out into the bedroom, stumbling through the door. He’d almost made it to the stairs when he hit the ground hard, McGarrett settling his weight on him.

“Look, we’re a part of you now, so the less you fight this, the better.” His wrists pinned to the floor, Danny threw his body around until he realized he wasn’t doing anything other than providing McGarrett with an easy eight second bronco ride that acted to stimulate little McGarrett. He felt his dick pressing against his stomach and went still, glaring up at him. “Come on, just let him out.”

“Like hell,” Danny spat back. “Give me back Steve.” McGarrett arched an eyebrow at him, reaching back to rub over him through the flimsy fabric of his boxers. 

“You give me Williams for the rest of the night, I give you Steve back in the morning. That’s how this works, Danny.” McGarrett leaned in, nipping at his lip. “A trade we get the shit end of, but a trade nonetheless.”

There it was again, that strange feeling Danny felt stirring in him in the weeks throughout, the feeling of being watched. The feeling of something otherly. The one that crept in as he drifted off to sleep, that felt detached and part of him at the same time. “Shit,” he whispered softly. “Williams is now me, I am now Williams,” he murmured, eyes growing wide. 

“Now you’re getting it,” McGarrett’s lips brushed his and he pushed down, rubbing against him. Despite every effort made otherwise, Danny felt his dick begin to harden. _Traitor_ , he thought distantly as he felt the world drift a little farther away from him. “Come on, Danny. Just close your eyes, go to sleep.” 

“Christ, McGarrett, you sound like a lamaze class. Next you’ll be introducing me to breathing exercises,” Williams muttered as he cracked open an eye. The other one opened and he held up his hands, then grinned up at McGarrett. “I’ll be damned, it worked.” 

McGarrett snorted. “If I’m offering sex, I’ve ever known you to pass it up.” Williams’s arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down to kiss him roughly, teeth drawing blood on his lip. 

“If I do, it’s not me,” he replied in a hushed voice, “which maybe someday won’t be a thing we have to worry about.” As long as he had to share a body with a cop, he wouldn’t rest until he found a way to boot Danny to the great beyond and go back to a situation where he lived alone. But until then? 

“Let’s fuck so hard the cops feel it in their sleep, babe. I want to leave an impression for the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end of Shattered, which marks the completion of the Mirror 'Verse Trilogy. Killing off McGarrett and Williams kind of sucked as I developed a strange fondness for them, but they went out fighting and sort of managed to stick around at the same time. I hope you enjoyed, that that ending wasn't too lame, and thank you for reading!


End file.
